Recent Jaundice Cases

Firstly, there is no need to panic. We really do not know as much as we should about foxes in the UK and they are descended from the thousands of foxes imported into the UK between the 18th-20th century for hunting. Although there are no references to seizures

With five recent jaundice cases in which the cubs collapsed and were described as "shutting down", fixed stare, jaundice and some nasal discharge I took a quick look through the foxes submitted for post mortem examination in Bristol and the causes concluded:

fox 13 jaundice/kidney failure -babesia.

Fox 14 jaundice and collapse babesia

Fox 18 Jaundice and kidney COD?

Fox 22 Jaundice -lepto

Fox 25 jaundice -lepto

Fox 26 jaundice -lepto

Fox 32 jaundice -septicaemia

Fox 34 jaundice -kidney damage uraemia

Fox 50 fitting/jaundice -Lepto

Fox 54 jaundice -babesia

Fox 55 jaundice -babesia.

The possibilities are "likely" babesia or leptospirosis.

Today's (16 05 2024) is a 3-4 months old cub, fixed stare, seizure, shutting down and jaundice along with nasal discharge. The vet suggesting parvo or distemper? But that was an "off-the-top-of-the-head" guess. As I have already noted there has been no officially confirmed case of distemper in UK foxes -there was a vet in the NE of England suggested a fox in the area may have died from distemper but that was 3-4 years ago and no post mortem took place. The distemper claim was included with a push to have people vaccinate their dogs. The practice involved would not respond to my emails and were unwilling to talk by phone. I put the distemper claim down as "not proven".

Babesia and lepto: Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of various wild animals including lions, deer, primates, rhinos, etc. It is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus ​Babesia ​and affects a wide range of domestic and wild animals, and occasionally humans. Species of ​Babesia ​vary in their infectivity. Babesia has been found in foxes with no affect on them and most research is from outside the UK.

As for leptospirosis it is common in wildlife however the disease is most often noticed only when the wildlife serve as a source of infection for domestic animals or humans. Lepto is found throughout the world and is regarded as a re-emerging infectious disease. As with babesia there is nothing we can do and the bacteria that causes leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months.

Many different kinds of wild and domestic animals carry the bacterium and among these include cattle.

Those are the two main possibilities for the jaundice cases that are cropping up as it seems unlikely all of these foxes got severe kidney problems, etc around the same time. Each case could have a different or the same cause. This is why I never publicly speculate without the PM reports.

The question is whether -and I know this will trigger a few people- environmental changes such as warmer and wetter weather are causing the problem as suggested by my colleague LM? Five or so foxes in the North of England and a very similar one from Whitstable, Kent and another possible case in the South of England are the ones we know about. Some rescues will not submit a dead animal for PM -that service is free if disease is suspected. Some bury any dead foxes on their land -as far as they are concerned they treat and release and unusual fox deaths are of no concern.

And idea of the fox deaths in Bristol involving jaundice/collapse etc. is given below by district.

1    Shirehampton  BS11

2.....Headley Park BS13

3     Hengrove  BS14

4    Whitchurch BS14

5    Downend  BS16

6    Staple Hill BS16

7    Oldland Common  BS30

8    Lockleaze  BS7

9    Redland BS7

10  Horfield BS7

11  Deerhurst, Yate  BS37

12  Lye Cross/Pump Lane  BS40

13  Rownham Close BS3

14  Toynbee Rd, Knowle   BS4

15  Westbury-on-Trym  BS9

16. Horfield  BS7

I ought to add that we lost four jaundiced foxes last year that were not collected and there was another jaundiced cub about two weeks ago we missed in West Town Lane.  Therefore over 20 jaundice, collapsed and shutting down foxes since 2022.